Rodeo Wizard
by myathestoryteller
Summary: Harry runs away to a rodeo and midway/carnival. Tom/Voldemort follows, and tries to convince him to join him. there is shonenai! those who are against boys having feeleings beyond brotherly love for one another, turn back now! rating may go up!
1. Chapter 1

Harry was content. Asha, the black mamba who had found him, was curled around his shoulders, which themselves were clad in a silken green shirt. Hedwig perched on his shoulder, and he wandered the midway. He stopped at a bench, pulled a sign tucked unobtrusively under his arm, and unfolded it. Two black cats, just out of kitten-hood, twined around his legs; almost blending in with the black jeans he was wearing. The sign read

"Meet the Creatures Not Before Seen

Please have caution.

Pictures 3.00 ea.

No animals are for sale."

Harry leaned back on the bench, and Hedwig hopped onto bench, giving him a nip on the ear for his trouble. Soon a little boy had spotted the sign.

"Hello mister. Can I pet your snake?" he was exited hopping from one foot to another. Asha lazily raised her head up, tongue flicking the air.

"Sure kid. One second, do you want to have her around your neck?" the boy nodded. His parents looked worried though.

"Excuse me sir, but what type of snake is that?" the father asked.

"Asha here is a black mamba, one of the most deadly snakes in the world. Don't worry though. As long as you move slowly with her, she's as well behaved as Hedwig here." Harry gestured to the owl, who barked as if to say 'Who? Me'. The parents nodded reluctantly, and Harry held his arm near the boy's shoulder. Asha slowly slithered down the extended arm and lay on the offered shoulder. The mother raised a camera, and Harry shook his head.

"Pictures are three dollars mam' and a bargain at that. Neither of my animals likes the flash much, but both put up with it." The woman sighed and handed over the money, and Harry pocketed it with a jingle. The photo was duly taken, both animals admired for another half hour by a variety of people, and then Harry stood up. He folded the sign up sent Hedwig on ahead to grab him some food, dropped Asha and his sign with one of the arcade game women, knowing that Asha would undoubtedly get a treat, and hurried over to the Rodeo stands. He was just in time to start fixing up the chuck wagons, making sure that tarps were fastened, harnesses secure, and axles unharmed, and started calming the excitable horses. The races passed without trouble, and the next day Harry did the same.

Manning a game was dull, but not completely boring. His eyes flickered to a man, tall with blue eyes and brown hair. He made his way over to the dart game Harry was handling.

"Hello Harry, when did you start working with a rodeo and midway?" he purred.

"When did we get on a first name basis Tom? I saw a way out of my family and took it. It has the added side affect of keeping me away from the manipulations of our beloved Headmaster." Harry was sidetracked for a few minuets, dispensing prizes and starting others up on the game.

"I must admit, no one would think to look here for you. If our connection wasn't able to aid me in finding you, I might never have found you."

"Why did you want to find me anyways? I want out, and I took it at the first opportunity possible. I don't have to wear a mask here, and the most life threatening thing I do is to calm restless animals. I was a snake in a lions den, and I was about to be squashed."

"Hmm, you are more of a snake than any of the others in the lions den, but all I've seen is the foolishness of a lion."

"I pride myself on never letting my mask slip. I really didn't see the point inn going through with any of the tests _he_ set for me, but I did them, just because it was the only way I could keep my friends. I never had a friend before my eleventh birthday, did you know? No friend but the mice and the spiders. My first human friend was more interested in something I don't remember doing, and the first snake I met insulted my intelligence and the first people I remember being actively kind to me. I refused to admit I was a snake, and now I'm stuck as a lion."

"So a snake was the golden boy of the lions? That'll give my inner circle a laugh."

"Either play a game or go away Tom. I'm _working_ for my food."

"So come with me, serpent. Come and never work again."

"It's going to take more than that for me to go away from here Tom." Hedwig flew towards him with a churro, Harry's version of heaven, and another crew member came. Harry accepted the churro, placed Asha around his neck, and walked to the horse corral.

**A/N**: I give you the evilness of the cliffy! It may be short but it's a start! Bow down to me and all the carnival sugary sweetness! I was at the Northern Peace Rodeo and Midway at Grimshaw when this idea started bugging me! I have no ideas about British money, so don't pester me about that. Warning! This will contain shonenai Tom/Harry. The beginnings of the summer before fifth year that led Harry to this routine will be explained in the next chapter. All Reviews are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: hi all! I've got both creative and fruit juices flowing, and a prayer to the original muses for a chapter of over a thousand pages.

And without further ado/I give you chapter two!

Chapter 2

"Hey Harry," a cowboy yelled, running up to him, "Boss says that you're off the exotic animals gig! We need your help with the barebacks and the bronco's. Saddle up and head out!" Harry gave a cheerful wave and hopped the fence into the horse pen. He haltered the closest one, a solid gruello (that's a mouse grey coloring with a darker grey mane and tail to you city-slickers!) half draft with a calm disposition. He quickly saddled up, and rode into the arena, where the ropers were desperately trying to corral a riled up mare into the finishing pen. The mare was having none of it, and was evading them all. Harry got his horse next to her, and set a hand on her back, projecting a soothing calm. She lowered her head, and Harry calmly led her to the back pen.

"And it looks like our resident animal charmer has done it again folks, that mare is completely docile now! Let's give him a big round of applause!" the crowd clapped and cheered, and Harry scratched the back of his head sheepishly. His horse walked to the sides, and helped with the next bronco less, calming it just enough to let the others do their job properly.

_ You are good at what you do. _Tom hissed the parseltongue words making a slight shiver run up Harry's spine.

If I wasn't, would I have this job?" he replied, even as he released a small knife from a hidden arm sheath into his hand, ready to attack and flee as the situation called for it.

"You are wasted here, my serpent. Come, and never work again."

"I came here for freedom. I will not abandon the first freedom I found for life in a gilded cage."

"Harry! The chuck wagons need a complete inspection! You chucked your load onto me the other day, and now I'm returning the favor! The lightning bolt with the green background needs its wheels and axles checked." A helper told him, sauntering up. Harry nodded, and left to the area, not once sparing a gesture for Tom.

Tom observed the boy. How much he had changed since his previous meetings. The boy once manipulated and shoved by everything around him, a little boy chained by compulsion spells, was now almost a man, at fifteen years of age. He was purposeful in his stride, knowing where he was going, and what he was going to do once he got there. He had a gift for empathy, and though he only used it on animals, with the right effort, it could be turned to humans. Also, he was not only a horcrux, but also attractive, though he didn't notice it. Lean and petite, with sparkling green eyes more expressive than his face, black hair tied in lose ponytail hanging to his shoulder blades, and golden skin.

Harry was aware of Tom's scrutiny, and he mulled it over as he checked the wheels for a minute fracture or weakened spot, or any signs of tampering. He couldn't understand it, though he had felt the same scrutinty from others as he showed of his animal companions. All from the sidelines. He couldn't understand it. He was nothing special, not like Tom, with his beautiful brown hair, bright blue eyes, and that voice, that wonderful, deep, voice, which stirred something deep inside Harry that he had never felt before. He shook those thoughts out of his head, and continued looking over the chuck wagons, inspecting each centimeter minutely, trying to ignore the feelings that Tom's presence near him invoked. He finished the inspection and nodded, then went to a nearby trailer. He opened it, and started inspecting the harnesses, chain link by chain link. He then took a bottle of oil and a rag, and rubbed the oil into the leather. Satisfied that nothing would go wrong, he started polishing the saddles in a pile next to him, untangling the straps, and making sure none of them were weak. He loved this work, the scent of oil and horses mingling together, the repetitive motion, and the feel of leather on skin. He could feel Tom sitting down next to him, and he unconsciously relaxed, the soul fragment in him making him trust the killer of hid parents, more than he trusted anyone else.

Tom smiled down at the teen leaning against him. He lifted his hand up, and gently stroked the boy's hair. It fell lose from the ponytail, messy, but slightly more tame because of the weight of it. The boy sighed in contentment, and slowly dozed off, curled into a ball.

Harry was distantly aware of someone stroking his hair, but could give the good feeling nothing other than a sigh of pleasure as he debated with himself over whether or not to go with Tom. The feelings he got around Tom were nice, yes, but nothing other than nice so far. True, he had never felt them before, but for magic's sake, he was just barely fifteen years old. He had not experienced a lot of things. That was no reason to walk straight into the pit of adders. No he was not that foolhardy. He could go without the feeling, and he had his animals, and the people around him. He had anonymity. No one knew who he was. He liked it that way, just being another face in the crowd. Not being the one the crowd came to see, to gawk at. Perhaps he would go after all. There would be no crowds with Tom, no one to stare at him. He hade his decision, and fell asleep.

A/N I love cliff hangers. Don't worry, 'nother chapter coming up shortly. I just wanted to leave you hanging.


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